Tacos, vegan comfort food, oysters – you name it, and Yaletown has a Happy Hour for it. Good thing too, because this swanky Vancouver neighbourhood is notoriously pricey.
As Yaletown residents ourselves, Happy Hour is possibly the one thing that keeps us from going bankrupt.
But where is the best place to go for Happy Hour in Yaletown? Where can you find the best deal on drinks? On food? And when even is “Happy Hour” anyway?
… The annoying answer is: it all depends!
So, in this post, we’ll be sharing some of our favourite happy hours in Yaletown, with an honest take on which places offer the best value for each occasion, along with key bits of information like when their Happy Hour takes place. We hope you find it helpful!
Help us improve this article! Here at Vancouver Tips, we only write about places we’ve personally visited, which is why some of our articles are fairly short. If you have any insider tips or recommendations for us to try out, let us know in the comments so we can expand our content!
The Parlour
Happy Hour: Daily from Opening – 6pm
For one of the most generous Happy Hours in Yaletown time-wise, head to The Parlour, which starts their Happy Hour specials as soon as they open. Come Thursday to Sunday, and this means cheap deals starting as early as noon!
This Happy Hour is ideal for those who struggle with decisions, because the only drinks on special are a house wine, house beer, and Well Highballs, but clocking in at less than $6.50 per drink, this is one of the more budget-friendly options that Yaletown has to offer.
For those interested in getting food alongside their affordable drinks, there are a ton of options on The Parlour Happy Hour menu, ranging from small bites starting at $4 all the way to full Poké Bowls for $17.
Our tip? Grab a Pizzette (mini pizza) for $14. This spot is known for their unique pizza creations, including a delicious line-up of vegan options.
Yaletown Brewing Company
Happy Hour: Daily from 2-5pm
Looking for a great Happy Hour in Yaletown that caters to beer lovers? Yaletown Brewing Company is (of course) the place to be.
With fresh 16oz beers (brewed in-house) for only $5, and house wines/vodka sodas for only a dollar more, this is one of top Yaletown Happy Hours if you’re looking for a casual, laid-back spot in swanky (and often pretentious) Yaletown.
In terms of food, there’s pretzels, fries, poutine & tacos from $9-$11, while you can get a full pizza for $16. Overall, it’s a pretty sweet deal!
Most promisingly, their space is massive, so it’s rarely a long wait for a table. If you’re looking for a place to spontaneously rock up without a reservation, you can usually count on YBC to find you a spot.
At this point, we’ve tried pretty much all their beers and none of them miss… so if you’re looking for a great Happy Hour in Yaletown with a solid beer selection, then be sure to pay YBC a visit.
Yaletown Distillery
Happy Hour: Wednesday – Friday from 4pm – 6pm, Weekends from 3-6pm
Yaletown Brewing Company is a great Happy Hour spot if you’re looking for a casual spot to enjoy some food and drink, but for a more ‘elegant’ happy hour in Yaletown, all you need to do is head next door to Yaletown Distillery Bar + Kitchen.
Case in point: It’s not even Happy Hour here, it’s ~ Aperitivo Hour ~
Available from Wednesday to Sunday, their Aperitivo Menu is small, but affordable, with a selection of snacky bites ranging from $6 – $14, along with $6 House Wines, $5 Draft Beers, $8 Aperol Spritzes, and $10 Negronis.
The major selling point of this Yaletown Happy Hour is the space itself. We love the atmosphere in here, with high ceilings, exposed brick, wooden beams, and beautiful leather seating. If you’re looking for a chic spot, this is a nice balance between upscale and affordable… although the service can be a bit hit and miss.
Wondering what to order? Their House White is surprisingly crisp and delicious.
Banter Room
Happy Hour: Daily from 2-5pm
For some of the best Happy Hour prices in Yaletown, Banter Room is a great pick… so long as you don’t mind a rowdier vibe.
It’s amazing what $5 can get you here, from waffle fries, fried chicken, sliders, and tacos to beers, pink lemonade and Arizona Hard Tea.
In fact, no item on their Happy Hour menu exceeds $10, making it a natural congregating point for the budget-conscious.
Accordingly, the crowd here skews young for Yaletown, so if you’re looking for a quiet and chill place to enjoy a glass of wine, this wouldn’t be the place to go…
BUT if you’re looking for a fun hang-out spot with loud music, good deals, and most importantly, a chill vibe where you can laugh and talk as loud as you want, then this is the place. One Google review likened it to dining at a nightclub, which is fairly accurate, even if you come early. Depending on your preferences, that might either be a huge draw, or major dealbreaker… but either way, you’ve been warned!
NOTE: Most Yaletown Happy Hours limit their drink selection to house beers/wines, or the occasional cocktail, so if you want something a little different, like hard lemonades/iced teas, or vodka sodas, then Banter Room is your place. As a bonus, they even have a fun vending machine with little bottles of Moët Chandon Champagne.
West Oak
Happy Hour: Daily from 3 – 6pm
Doing Happy Hour as a date or girls’ night?
One of our favourite Yaletown Happy Hours in terms of ambiance is West Oak, a spot that strikes a great balance between Yaletown-trendy and affordability.
Price-wise, you can get highballs for $4, wine for $6, and a small assortment of classic cocktails for $7, alongside a range of tasty dishes from $8 – $28. Like many spots in Yaletown, they also have a nice patio to lounge at, although the interior (especially near the bar) is quite pretty.
Our tip? Get the mussels and fries, and visit on Wednesdays for 40% off all bottles of wine.
Earls
Happy Hour: Daily 2 – 5pm + Sun – Thurs: 9pm – Close, Fri – Sat: 10pm – Close
From Burnaby to Downtown, no matter where you are in Metro Vancouver, you can usually count on Earls for an affordable Happy Hour… and Yaletown is no exception.
With Yaletown being so full of unique restaurants and bars, we do encourage you to try some of the other spots on our list, since Earls can be found in so many other locations… but we can’t deny that their specials are some of our favourites.
With options as cheap as $4 tacos to full-on meals for $15, Earls’ Yaletown Happy Hour doesn’t mess around when it comes to food.
Plus, we have to say, the drink selection of the Earls Happy Hour is among the most extensive in Yaletown. While you have our standard beers, highballs, and wines for $5 each, there’s also a selection of ‘premium’ cocktails like frozen margaritas and watermelon slushes for about 3 bucks off the usual price. If you drink several like we do, that’s a nice amount of savings.
If you’re looking for a reliable Yaletown Happy Hour, there’s zero shame in Earls game.
Cactus Club
Happy Hour: 2 – 5 pm & 9:30pm – Close
On a similar note, another reliable Lower Mainland chain you can find in Yaletown is Cactus Club. Their Happy Hour is also alright, although not our favourite.
Small bites (i.e. Edamame and Fries) start at $5, with heftier mains ranging from $13 – $23.
Drinks-wise, they have a small selection of beers, wines and seltzers in the $5-6.50 range, plus more premium cocktails just under $10.
We know a lot of Vancouverites won’t stand for the Cactus Club slander, but we just think that Earls provides overall better value when it comes to Happy Hour if you’re sticking with a chain.
That said, if you are looking for a full meal during Happy Hour, Cactus might be the best choice, since many of their classic dishes are on special. That’s one area where they win over other Yaletown Happy Hours, who don’t usually have a huge selection of full-size meals for Happy Hour.
Other Yaletown Happy Hours
Alright! Above, we listed some of the top Yaletown happy hours that we’ve personally tried. Of course, having as many restaurants and bars as it does, Yaletown has plenty more happy hour specials to offer. Here are some others on our list that we haven’t yet gotten a chance to check out:
Capo and Spritz | Daily Aperitivo Hour from 3pm – 5:30: Spritz and Negroni for $10, House Wine, Bottled Beer and Other Drinks for $5
Minami | Daily 2-5pm: Great discounts on food, sake, wine, and beer
Bartholomew | Daily 5-6pm: $10 cocktails and glasses of wine, $5 draft beers
Brix and Mortar | Tuesday to Sunday from 4 – 6pm: Food options for $10-$13, glasses of wine and draught beer for $6, classic cocktails for $7
The Flying Pig | Daily from 3-6pm: Drinks from $5.50 – 8.25 and a variety of food items all under $13
El Guapo | Monday to Friday from 3-6pm: Margaritas for $8, House Wines for $6.50, and some other options for under $5, along with a selection of food items all for under $13
The Keg | Cocktail Hour Daily from 4-6pm, or 9pm – Close: Small selection of drinks for $6 -7, and snacks from $10-$17
Rodney’s Oyster House | Daily from 3-6pm: Raw oysters for $2.50, a variety of other seafood items from $13.95 – $22.95, house beers for $6, and house wines for $8.
Hapa Izakaya | Daily 5-6pm, Sunday-Thursday from 9pm to Close: $5 Draft Beers, $6 Wine, Food Options from $6 – $11
Tacofino | Daily 3-6pm: $9.50 margaritas, $5 Sangria, $6 Draft Beers and a limited food selection – $5 Tofu Fritters, $10 Tater Tots, $15 Nachos
MeeT | Monday – Friday 3-5pm & Sunday – Thursday 9pm – Close: Large selection of Vegan meals for under $14, beers and wines from $2.50 – $15.25, seltzers for $5.25, cocktails for $9.75
The Greek by Anatoli | Daily from 2-5pm, Sunday – Wednesday from 9pm – Close: Small bites from $4 – $10, Mezze platter for $29, many drinks from $4 – $10
La Terrazza | Daily from 5-7pm: Small selection of dishes for $12, Drinks from $6.88 – $12
Did we miss any of your favourite Happy Hours in Yaletown?
Let us know in the comments so we can add more recommendations to our list!